The Olivenhain Municipal Water District received the WateReuse Association of California’s 2022 award for Recycled Water Community Outreach. The award was presented at WateReuse’s annual conference in San Francisco.
Encinitas, Calif. — The WateReuse Association of California recognized Olivenhain Municipal Water District as its 2022 award recipient for Recycled Water Community Outreach. The award was presented at WateReuse’s annual conference in San Francisco.
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District invites the public to attend an open house celebration on Saturday, October 8 from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The event will be held at OMWD’s headquarters at 1966 Olivenhain Road in Encinitas.
The event is free of charge and will feature children’s activities, complimentary food and refreshments, a water-wise landscape workshop, San Diego Woodies mini car show, and informational booths from San Diego County Water Authority, Encinitas Fire Department, and Solana Center for Environmental Innovation. Drought survival kits will also be available free of charge, featuring water reuse buckets, hose nozzles, moisture sensors, and other water-saving tools.
The public event is one of the first at OMWD’s newly improved headquarters. Attendees will have the opportunity to explore the new facilities, learn more about the ongoing drought, and get advice on water conservation practices and rebate programs.
OMWD Board President Larry Watt will lead a discussion about drought conditions. Steve Sherman of California Landscape Technologies will follow with an informative and interactive workshop that will feature methods to reduce outdoor water use and increase irrigation efficiencies. The free workshop will be held from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and is open to the public. Registration for the workshop is available at www.olivenhain.com/events.
Improvements to OMWD’s headquarters were completed in 2020. The facility, originally constructed in the 1960s, now offers a 200-person capacity community room for public use, public access to restrooms, fire sprinklers, and an accessible, secure lobby.
(Editor’s Note: Olivenhain Municipal Water District is a public agency providing water, wastewater services, recycled water, hydroelectricity, and operation of Elfin Forest Recreational Reserve. Organized in 1959, OMWD currently serves approximately 87,000 customers over 48 square miles in northern San Diego County. OMWD is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition was awarded a grant of up to $17.8 million for the development of recycled water infrastructure. The grant funds come from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation.
“As we face increasingly devastating drought conditions, it’s imperative that we continue to diversify our water supplies and strengthen our local water independence,” said U.S. Representative Mike Levin. “The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition plays a critical role in that effort, which is why I am proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding investments for their important work to expand the use of recycled water.”
This is the second grant that the USBR has awarded to the North County coalition in the last year. In August 2021, USBR committed $6.1 million in funds from its Title XVI program for local water reclamation and reuse projects. The two grant awards totaling up to $23.9 million will help cover costs for work performed through September 2025.
“California is not going to be able to navigate another historic drought if we don’t develop new water supplies, said Larry Watt, Olivenhain Municipal Water District’s Board President. “In fact, the number one priority in the California Water Supply Strategy document that Governor Newsom recently released is to create new water recycling projects. This financial support from the Bureau of Reclamation is instrumental for us to be able to develop these new supplies and achieve statewide goals.”
The coalition is a group of nine water and wastewater agencies in San Diego County working beyond jurisdictional boundaries to maximize recycled water use and reduce demand for imported water. The awarded funding is for the coalition’s Regional Recycled Water Program: 2020 Project, which is a joint effort between coalition members to expand recycled water infrastructure to increase and maximize water reuse in the region. Upon completion of all long-term project elements, the coalition anticipates increasing water reuse by 11 billion gallons per year. This equates to approximately 31 million gallons per day of recycled water and potable reuse water added to northern San Diego’s water supply portfolio.
The project includes connecting discrete recycled water systems to one another, new pipelines, increasing recycled water storage capacity, installation of new pump stations, and other project components that will help distribute recycled water to effectively meet demands.
“For the Vallecitos Water District, the additional funding will be used to increase the size of the chlorine contact stage at our Meadowlark Water Reclamation Facility,” noted Craig Elitharp, Vallecitos Water District Board President. “We will be able to increase the capacity of Meadowlark from 5 million gallons a day to 6.5 million gallons a day. This additional reclaimed water supply will be passed along to our water reuse partners with the City of Carlsbad and the Olivenhain Municipal Water District.”
The project includes connecting discrete recycled water systems to one another, new pipelines, increasing recycled water storage capacity, installation of new pump stations, and other project components that will help distribute recycled water to effectively meet demands. Graphic: North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition
The project helps address water supply shortages by offering the region a reliable approach for supplementing local and imported supplies. Potable water supplies are vulnerable during drought periods and can be restricted during times of water shortages. Recycled water is considered a drought-proof supply because it is not linked to weather fluctuations and is available year-round, effectively offsetting potable water demand. Furthermore, since recycled water is produced locally, it cannot be disrupted from shortages caused by earthquakes, wildfires, and other natural disasters that may occur in other parts of the state.
“We are grateful for this partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation to help fund green infrastructure,” said Kellie Hinze, San Elijo Joint Powers Authority Chairwoman and Encinitas City Council Member. “Recycling water reduces our dependence on imported supplies while building resiliency for a changing climate.”
Investments in water infrastructure, such as the infrastructure expanded by this project, promotes economic development and expanded business opportunities. According to the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation, for every $1 invested in water infrastructure, there is an estimated $1.80 increase in the region’s gross regional product.
Additional benefits associated with the project come from reduced wastewater discharges and associated coastal stressors. Reducing the amount of wastewater discharged to the Pacific Ocean can benefit water quality along the coast in the coalition’s service area.
In addition to federal funds, the project has previously received funding at the state level from the Department of Water Resources. The project received grant funding on several occasions through DWR’s Integrated Regional Water Management Program—administered locally in partnership with the San Diego County Water Authority, County of San Diego, and City of San Diego—which supports collaborative water management to increase regional self-reliance throughout California. These IRWM awards have totaled $4.95 million in grant funding.
Through the Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program, the USBR provides financial and technical assistance to local water agencies for the planning, design, and construction of water reclamation and reuse projects. These projects are designed to provide growing communities with new sources of water which increases water management flexibility and makes our water supply more reliable. The coalition will be working with USBR to finalize the grant agreement in the coming months.
More information about the coalition and the project is available at www.nsdwrc.org.
The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition is comprised of nine northern San Diego County water and wastewater agencies working beyond jurisdictional boundaries to maximize recycled water use and reduce demand for imported water. The Coalition partners include Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Carlsbad Municipal Water District, City of Oceanside, Vallecitos Water District, City of Escondido, Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District, Santa Fe Irrigation District, Leucadia Wastewater District, and San Elijo Joint Powers Authority.
(Editor’s note: The Santa Fe Irrigation District, Vallecitos Water District, Olivenhain Municipal Water District, Rincon del Diablo Municipal Water District, Carlsbad Municipal Water District, City of Escondido, and City of Oceanside, are seven of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
Encinitas, Calif. — The United States Bureau of Reclamation has announced that it has awarded the North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition a grant of up to $17.8 million for the development of recycled water infrastructure in San Diego’s North County.
“As we face increasingly devastating drought conditions, it’s imperative that we continue to diversify our water supplies and strengthen our local water independence,” said U.S. Representative Mike Levin. “The North San Diego Water Reuse Coalition plays a critical role in that effort, which is why I am proud to see the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding investments for their important work to expand the use of recycled water.”
Encinitas, Calif. — The Special District Leadership Foundation honored Olivenhain Municipal Water District today at California Special Districts Association’s annual conference in Palm Desert as a “District of Distinction–Platinum Level,” its highest accreditation. This designation recognizes OMWD’s commitment to sound fiscal management, ethical administration, and transparency in all areas of its operations.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District is beginning construction this week on a new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas along Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real from Via Poco to Tennis Club Drive. Once complete, customers connecting to this new pipeline will irrigate with recycled water, which will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year.
Encinitas, Calif. — Olivenhain Municipal Water District is beginning construction this week on a new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas along Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real from Via Poco to Tennis Club Drive. Once complete, customers connecting to this new pipeline will irrigate with recycled water, which will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year.
Recycled water is a sustainable water source that reduces the region’s dependence on imported water. OMWD is currently meeting approximately 14% of its total water demands using locally supplied recycled water for irrigation.
Olivenhain Municipal Water District is beginning construction this week on a new recycled water pipeline in Encinitas along Manchester Avenue and South El Camino Real from Via Poco to Tennis Club Drive. Once complete, customers connecting to this new pipeline will irrigate with recycled water, which will reduce demand for imported potable water by more than 10 million gallons every year.
Recycled water is a sustainable water source that reduces the region’s dependence on imported water. OMWD is currently meeting approximately 14% of its total water demands using locally supplied recycled water for irrigation.
“Recycled water is a critical tool in our effort to diversify our water supply and reduce the impacts of drought,” said OMWD Board President Larry Watt. “By converting from potable to recycled water for irrigation, this project has become yet another example of how we can significantly reduce our potable water consumption.”
This new pipeline is an element of the larger North San Diego County Regional Recycled Water Project — a collaborative effort among nine North County agencies that coordinate across jurisdictional boundaries. The water that OMWD will deliver through the new pipeline is produced at San Elijo Joint Powers Authority’s water reclamation facility in Cardiff.
OMWD has aggressively sought grant funding for this project to make it cost-effective for ratepayers. The efforts have been successful, with OMWD achieving $1,350,000 from California’s Department of Water Resources for two separate segments of the pipeline, and approximately $400,000 from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation’s Title XVI Water Reclamation and Reuse Program.
The project is expected to be completed in 2023 and progress updates can be found at www.olivenhain.com/projects and by following OMWD on Facebook and Twitter.
Earlier this year, the Olivenhain Municipal Water District completed the Manchester Avenue Potable Water Pipeline Project. In total, 3,700 linear feet of aged potable water pipeline was replaced along Manchester Avenue, Rancho Santa Fe Road and Encinitas Boulevard.
(Editor’s note: The Olivenhain Municipal Water District is one of the San Diego County Water Authority’s 24 member agencies that deliver water across the metropolitan San Diego region.)
As drought conditions worsen in California, the San Elijo Joint Powers Authority is partnering with the San Dieguito and Olivenhain Municipal water districts to expand water recycling in north San Diego County.
The three districts’ cooperation in the planning and building of recycled water infrastructure dates to the early 1990s. Today, the agencies are planning a $2.2 million rehabilitation of the Wanket Reservoir. The San Dieguito and Olivenhain water districts built the 3-million-gallon reservoir in 1974.
The concrete tank, which overlooks the Encinitas Ranch Golf Course east of Quail Gardens Drive, was last used to store potable water in 2008, as water conservation efforts and more-efficient indoor plumbing rendered the tank unnecessary.
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